Servo selector valve



Feb. 3, 1948. J. MERCER 2,435,546

SERVO SELECTOR VALVE Filed Aug. 18; 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 :fi 1:1. J.

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SLIGHT LEA/(AGE v INVENTOR. Jean Mercr BY I ATTORNEY Feb. 3, 1948. J. MERCn-:R 2,435,546

sERVo SELECTOR VALVE Filed Aug. 18, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 SLIGHTLEHKHGE EAK/96E SLIGHT n. M .Wl/ 2 ,l

i lNvgNroR. Jean Mercr BY AMW ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 3, 1948 UNITED sTATEs PATENT o FFlcE .2,435,540 scavo sannc'roa vALvE Jean Mercier. New Yeti. N. Y. i Application sum 1s, 194s, 'sex-m Nn. 49am 1 claim. (ci. rs1-144) i The present invention pertains to servo selector valves and more'particulariy to a selector valve unit used to control a double-acting hydraulic jack. An object of the present invention is to provide a selector valve unit to control a double-acting hydraulic jack which not only permits a rapid flow of fluid, butiscompar'atively easy tooperate. l

To that end the valve unit is composed of four individual valves;l to wit, two pressure inlet and two return valves, respectively. Each pressure inlet valve is associated with one return valve so that opening of the pressure inlet valve will automatically produce the opening of the associated return valve. .y l

In one feature of the presentinvention the pressure inlet valve is provided with a principal movable -valve element which is subjected to fluid pressure across a large cross sectional area. There is also provided an auxiliary'valve element of comparatively small cross sectional dimensions which is associated with each principal valve eiement to control the passage extending throughout the latter. The communication through this passage is controlled from the outside. When the auxiliary element is lifted the principal ele ment will be subjected on the large and small end faces to fluid pressure and will thus be displaced with ease. l..

According to a further feature of the present invention each of the return valves also includes a principal movable valve element associated with an auxiliary valve element. Each said auxiliary element includes a chamber and when fluid pressurev is admitted to either of said chambers the corresponding auxiliary valve element will engage and displace the principal valve element with which it is associated.

Finally, each one of the. chambers formed in the auxiliary valve elements of the return valves may be connected to the space in one of the pressure inlet valves surrounding that end face thereof which is not subjected to fluid pressure except when the valve is opened. Accordingly, if pressure is being admitted to the said space by an operation of the auxiliary valve element of the pressure inlet valve, then the same pressure will be admitted into one of the aforesaid chambers so that the corresponding auxiliary valve element will open the associated return valve.

Further features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of embodiments given by way of example and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

Fig.- i is ,a top view of the selector valve unit according -to the present invention, including a diagrammatic flow chart illustrating the valve unit and the jack to be Operated;

Fig. 3 is a section along line 3 3 of Fig. 1;

' Fig. 4 is a section along line 4-4 of'liig. 1. y

In Fig. 1 numerals 1 and 2 designate the two fluid outlet valves and 3 and 4 are the two fluid inlet valves. Numeral 5 indicates the shaft oi' an operating cam.

If shaft l is turned to one side, pressure inlet valve 4 and outlet valve i will be opened while the other valves are closed, and fluid will circulate In thedirection of arrows a and b. If shaft s is turned to the other side; valves I and 4 will be closed,while valves 2 and 3 are opened, whereby fluid will flow in an opposite direction to the arrows. In the neutral position of shaft l all valves are closed.

Dotted lines 4 and 1 designate two conduits within the valve casing, conduit C connecting valves I and 4 and conduit 1 connecting valves l and l in a manner to be explained belowin connection with Figs. 3 and 4.

Fig. 2 shows in section the two pressure inlet valves I and 4. Each valve includes a cylinder bore lA, a valve seat 1A and a principal movable valve element i. Ports s are connected to a source of fluid pressure and chambers I0 formed by the-.wall of bore 4A and a recessed portion II of element! are connected to two ports I2, shown in Figs. 3 and 4, which serve alternatinglyas pressure and return ports. Valves 3 and 4 are actuated by a cam Il which can be operated from the.

outside by means of shaft I. Figs. 1 and 4. Cam I3 engages pins I4 which in turn engage pins Il in. the passages extending through the valve casing and element i. In the neutral position auxiliary valve elements (balls) It close the passages holding pins Il, but when cam I3 is rotated one way or the other, one of the balls Il will be lifted. Fluid will pass along one of the loosely tting pins Il and accumulate either in spaces II and It or I'Ia and Ila. respectively.

Further rotation oi' cam I3 will cause element 8 to be lifted from seat 1A and iluid will be admitted to chamber I II, and thus to the port l2. Since the'pressure on both end faces of element l is substantially the same, then the only force that is necessary to overcome is the force resulting from the difference in the cross sectional area of the said two faces. By varying the aforesaid diiference the valve can be adjusted to open 56 andclosemoreorlesseasily.

The clearancebetween pin I4 and the pas.

tional passage I9 (Fig. 4) extending from a point Just below ball I6 to spaces I1 and I 1a.

Bore accommodating cam I3 is connected to the return port of the valve unit, thus allowing the fluid which passes around the pins I4 to pass to the return line.

The outlet valves, one of which is shown in Figures 3 and 4, are adapted to communicate by means of ports I2 with the jack to be actuated, and through ports 22 with the outlet port 23 of the valve unit. The passage of fluid between ports I2'and 23 is obstructed when the principal valve elements (balls) 24 are applied against their seats 25. The piston like aux.

iliary valve elements 26 are, each, slidably carried in a cylinder bore 21 provided in the casing of each return valve. In the illustrated embodiment, the diameter of s efat 25 must be smaller than that of bore 21. Elements 26 include chambers 28a formed in their base portions, and a projection 29 adapted to engage the co-acting element 24.

Chamber 28a (Fig. 3). located in valve I, communicates through conduit 6 with space I 9a of valve 4 and chamber 29a (valve 2) is connected through conduit 1 with space I la of valve 3.

Accordingly, when cam I9 is turned to operate valve 3 or l uid pressure will enter chamber 29a or 28 and, since the area of elements 29a on which the pressure acts, is greater than thatoi' elements 24 on which the pressure is acting, one of the outlet valves will be opened.

Fig. 4 shows valves I and 3, in which the chambers I 0 are connected by passages 30 to ports I2 and which, accordingly, function alternatingly as pressure outlet and as return ports. A check valve II prevents any back now of duid into chambers Il.

The foregoing description is not intended to limit the present invention which extends ,to all changes, modiilcations and equivalents within the scope oi' the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

A tour-way hydraulic valve having two inlet ports, two system ports and an outlet port, a pair of primary valves each for connecting one ot the inlet ports to one-oi the system ports, a pair oi' secondary valves each for connecting one of the system ports to the outlet port, each of said primary valves being biased to closed position by iluid pressure in theinlet port and having iluid pressure responsive means for balancing said inlet pressure, a pilot valve associated with each of the primary valves to admit pressure uid from -the inlet port to the uid pressure responsive means and to slowly exhaust said iluid to said outlet port, means to selectively operate said pilot valves, means to utilize the balancing pressure from a pilot valve to open a secondary valve, and means to actuate the primary valve associated with the operated pilot valve to admit pressure iiuid to one of the system ports while fluid is being exhausted from the other system port through the secondary valve opened by the pressure iluid from the said operated pilot valve:

JEAN MERCIER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the ille of this patent:

FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain' Sept. 11, 19301 Number Number 

